242 



COFFEE 



COFFEE 



to the same height on the stock that they were in 

 the seed-bed. The nursery-bed is watered after 

 planting, and from time to time if the weather 

 is dry. As the plants develop the shade is gen- 

 erally removed until they are exposed to full sun- 

 light. It should be planned to expose them to the 

 full light and air when they have developed four 

 pairs of leaves. After being exposed for some time 

 they are ready to be planted in the field. It is pre- 

 ferable that five pairs of true leaves be developed 

 before transplanting. (Pig. 349.) 



Planting. — The planting distances should be 

 marked carefully before any of the trees are set. 

 The best distance between the rows is still un- 

 settled. Seven to nine feet is common practice. 

 Where coffee can be grown on somewhat flat land, 

 as in Brazil, and machines used between the rows, 

 a greater distance is desirable. The coffee lands in 

 Porto Rico are generally very steep and irregular. 



Holes about two feet deep and as wide as neces- 

 sary are made at the points determined for the 

 planting. In Porto Rico a good practice is to place 

 the subsoil on the lower side of the hole, and fill 

 the hole only with surface-soil scraped from the 

 vicinity. This makes a small table or flat, which 

 can be gradually enlarged, which expedites hoeing 

 about the young trees and reduces soil -washing 

 during heavy rains. 



Planting is done usually at the beginning of the 

 rainy season, as it is necessary that the soil be 

 moist and the sky at least partly cloudy. The 

 seedlings to be planted should be thrifty and well 

 developed. If branches have been formed and the 

 stem thickened, the seedlings should be pruned 

 back to about six inches from the collar. Planting 

 is an important process and should be done with 

 great care. It is important that the taproot be 

 planted straight, and that it be not injured. The 

 safest way is to lift the seedling on a spade, with 

 the earth attached. The roots must not be exposed 



set bare, that is, without the clod, the plant hole 

 should be fllled and a hole of sufficient size made in 

 the center by means of a rounded stick or dibber. 

 The space about the root must be completely 



Fig. 347. The beginning of a coffee plantation; clearing the 

 forest. Dwelling house and workman's house are shown, 

 constructed from the felled forest trees, sawn by hand. 



to the sun, and any that extend beyond the clod 

 should be removed by sharp scissors. The seedling 

 is placed in the center of the hole, and the soil 

 pressed firmly about it. The collar should be 

 slightly below the surface. If the seedlings are 



Fig. 348. Coffee seed and nursery beds under artiScial 

 shade. Porto Eico, Experiment Station. 



filled. Only seedlings that have not yet developed 

 branches may be planted bare. The taproots are 

 cut with sharp scissors at the point where they 

 bend easily, and the side roots are pruned. The tap- 

 root should not touch the bottom of the plant hole, 

 and the side roots should be placed as nearly nor- 

 mally as possible. 



Sometimes the fields are not ready to receive 

 the seedlings when the latter are ready, and the 

 seedlings develop too far. They should be cut back 

 to about six inches, as above mentioned, and 

 planted as " stumps." Stumps are more vigorous 

 and may be planted when the sun is shining, pro- 

 viding the roots are not exposed to the sun. Many 

 shoots or suckers will soon appear. When these 

 become about two inches long, all but one should 

 be removed with a sharp pruning knife. The re- 

 maining shoot should develop into a strong plant 

 more quickly than the seedlings. 



A certain percentage of the total number of 

 trees set out will fail, and this number must be 

 provided for resetting. An allowance of 10 per cent 

 for this should be an abundance ; and, with proper 

 care, it would be excessive. 



Cultivation and subsequent care. — After the trees 

 are set and the plantation started, the further care 

 is very slight. The work consists almost entirely 

 of weeding and replanting. One man can look 

 after ten to fifteen acres. The weeding is done 

 twice a year generally. It is essential that the 

 land be kept clean, and that no weeds be allowed 

 to run to seed. When the land becomes hard, sur- 

 face tillage will be required. A practical method 

 is to cultivate in a circle around the tree, gradually 

 enlarging the area as the tree branches. . The first 

 cultivation should always be made outside the 

 original plant hole. Good crops demand that the 

 soil be kept loose. The frequency of cultivations 

 will be determined by the frequency with which 

 the soil becomes sun-dried or packed by heavy 

 rains. The extent of erosion or washing must also 

 be considered, as in the steeper plantations it may 

 make much surface tillage inadvisable. 



